Coming Home
by Queen Persephone the Goddess
Summary: Karai finds out the truth about Shredder and Splinter. She feels broken. And it's up to Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, April and reluctantly Raphael to pick up the pieces.


"Your sensei killed my mother," Karai spat at the four turtles who were standing in front of Splinter's unconscious body, protecting him. "Now I want to avenge her so stand aside before I kill you four too."

"No way, Master Splinter would never hurt anyone!" Michelangelo exclaimed. "Let alone someone's mother."

"Especially when he lost his daughter and wife," Donatello agreed.

Karai frowned. Now this was odd. She was sure Splinter would have told the turtles his twisted version of Tang Shen's death. No matter, it was time Karai shattered the precious illusion they had of their sensei.

"My father told me that Hamato Yoshi killed my mother and tried to kidnap me," Karai told them angrily.

"Then why are you after Splinter?" Michelangelo asked with confusion. "Go find that Yoshi guy."

Karai rolled her eyes. "Uh Mikey, Hamato Yoshi is Splinter," Leonardo explained to his younger brother.

"You so called father is a liar!" Raphael roared at Karai. "You want to know the truth? Shredder killed Tang Shen and kidnapped you."

"Raph, Splinter said not to," Leonardo hissed.

Karai was beginning to feel confused. Why would Splinter not want her to know his version of the events? Could her father be lying? NO! They were trying to trick her. She wasn't going to fall for that.

"You're delusional if you believe what that terrible rodent says," Karai snarled.

"Hey, our father is a rat not a rodent!" Michelangelo shouted. Donatello slapped his forehead.

"No, that is the truth, you're just too blind to see it. Think about it. If Splinter is as bad as you say, how come he's not the one who's trying to take over the world, why hasn't he trained us to kill like Shredder trained you," Raphael said angrily, ignoring Leonardo's protests.

"Um, Karai, do you know what your father looked like before he put on the metal armor and got all burned and stuff?" Michelangelo asked curiously. His brothers and Karai gave him a quizzical look.

"Yes," Karai answered.

Michelangelo went over to Splinter's bedside table and picked up a picture. He handed it to Karai. "Did he look like this?"

Karai's eyes widened. This was the whole picture of her mother holding her as a baby but the man beside Tang Shen was not the Shredder.

"That's Master Splinter in his human form," Donatello explained.

The turtle beside Raphael lowered their weapons and waited for Karai's reaction.

Karai felt sick. She had to get out of there. She dropped the picture on the ground and ran away, ignoring Leonardo's shouts for her to come back.

* * *

Donatello tended to Splinter's wounds and Michelangelo went to get pizza, leaving Leonardo to confront Raphael.

"What the shell were you thinking?" Leonardo asked angrily as soon as he entered Raphael's room.

"I was thinking of saving our sensei," Raphael growled fiercely, glaring at Leonardo. "Maybe you should try doing that sometimes instead of just worrying about your girlfriend and sucking up to Master Splinter."

"You shouldn't have done that. Master Splinter told us not to," Leonardo snapped.

"You're such a jerk. I was trying to do the right thing," Raphael told him crossly.

"Whatever Raph. Call me when Master Splinter wakes up," Leonardo said coolly.

"Wait a minute. Are you going after Karai?" Raph spluttered in surprise.

"Yeah," Leonardo answered with a sigh. He knew what was coming next.

"Leo, what part of 'she's the enemy' are you not getting?" Raphael questioned. "That girl is evil."

"She's not evil. She's Master Splinter's daughter and our adopted sister," Leonardo protested.

"That's not the reason you want to find her," Raphael reasoned.

* * *

Karai sat on the rooftop, watching the sunset. She could feel tears rolling down her face. Karai bit her lip, trying to force herself to stop crying. Her fa-Shredder had always taught her that crying shows weakness.

Karai let out a strangled sob at that memory. Everything that bastard ever told her, every word out of his mouth was a lie. Her whole life was one big lie. Shredder never cared about her. She was just a pawn in his very twisted game.

Karai hugged her knees to her chest. She couldn't believe what happened. She half wished that it hadn't happened. That she still believed in the lie Shredder had told her. But deep inside, Karai knew it was better that she had found out.

Even though, she now felt incredible guilt and self-loathing for wanting to hurt her real father. Did he hate her now? Did he love the turtles he adopted more? Of course he did. She had hurt them all.

Even Leonardo would never accept her. She was the enemy. The fact that she was Splinter's daughter, and not Shredder's daughter, changed nothing. The facts still remained. Karai had fought against them and sided with their most dreaded enemies.

Karai had nothing now. No father. No family. No anger. No purpose. No will to live.

Karai stood up and took a deep breath. She looked down at the cars that were twelve stories bellow. It was a pretty long fall. Her death would be painful but quick. Karai closed her eyes and took a step forward.

But before she could move her other foot and fall, a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"What do you think you're doing?" Karai asked angrily, spinning around to glare at whoever stopped her from ending her life.

"I could ask you the same question," April snapped.

Karai's eyes widened in surprise. "What are you doing here?" she asked half suspicious, half curious. Out of anyone who Karai would have thought would care about her, April wasn't one of them.

"Mikey called me. He told me what happened. He said by the time Leo and Raph were finished arguing about finding you, you'd be long gone," April explained.

Karai tried to ignore the happy feeling inside when she heard that Leonardo wanted to find her. "Look, this is really none of your business," Karai said fiercely. "So why don't you just go home."

"And let you kill yourself?" April asked incredulously. "I would never. Plus Mikey and Leo would probably never speak to me again. Not to mention Splinter's reaction. Besides, I find that it helps to talk about these things. And to help you talk, I brought something to make it easier."

"Let me guess, milk and cookies," Karai said snidely.

"Grown up milk and cookies," April answered, handing her a bottle of soda. Karai gave her a look. "Okay fine. Teenage milk and cookies. My dad keeps his liquor in a kitchen cabinet under lock and key. Not that I would know where it is." April avoided eye contact as she opened her own soda.

"So where would you like me start talking. Do you want me to start with my childhood?" Karai questioned with a dry chuckle.

"Why not? I got time," April told her, taking a sip of her soda.

"I was kidding," Karai said, giving her a weird look.

"We should have plenty of time for us to talk. Leo and Raph won't be finished arguing anytime soon. And Mikey promised to not tell Donnie that I'm talking to you for another hour," April answered.


End file.
